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Introduction

It’s fascinating to see prices drop at our favorite stores. Imagine if you could make readers just as excited by temporarily offering your book at really low prices. Well, with Amazon KDP’s Kindle Countdown Deals (KCD), you can do exactly that!

Since 2013, authors have been able to sell their books in the Kindle Store for a limited time through Kindle Countdown Deals. This allows them to show readers the big savings they can get and create a sense of urgency by reminding them that the sale will end soon.

These promotions provide great opportunities for authors to attract new readers and sell many books within a short period. However, you should know a few things about Kindle Countdown Deals if you want to achieve the best results.

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What are Kindle Countdown Deals?

A Kindle Countdown Deal is a special promotion offered to authors through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Select. It allows authors to temporarily discount their ebooks while still earning a higher royalty rate from Amazon.

In other words, Kindle Countdown Deals (KCD) is a feature that lets authors offer time-limited discounts exclusively for Kindle eBooks on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. When customers visit the detail page of a Kindle eBook, they will see both the regular price and the discounted promotional price. Additionally, a countdown clock will be displayed, showing how much time is left for customers to purchase the eBook at the promotional price.

Participating in a Kindle Countdown Deal can be highly beneficial for your book sales. By offering a significant discount for a limited time, you can gain more exposure for your book and your author platform. This often leads to a boost in sales while still earning a higher royalty rate of 70%. Many authors have seen positive results from using Kindle Countdown Deals to promote their books.

Not Able to Purchase From Kindle Countdown Deals?

If you’re in a location where you can’t make purchases from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk, you might not see your Kindle Countdown Deals (KCD) promotion listed on your Kindle eBook’s detail page. This means that customers who are unable to purchase from these specific Amazon websites won’t be able to view your KCD promotion.

The reason for this limitation is that Kindle Countdown Deals are specifically designed for customers who can buy from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk. These promotions are targeted toward customers in those supported territories, so the promotions won’t be visible to customers in other locations.

Benefits of Kindle Countdown Deals

1. Time-based promotions: When authors run Kindle Countdown Deals, they include a timer that shows the remaining time for the promotion. This is done to create excitement and a sense of urgency among customers. By seeing the countdown clock ticking down, customers are encouraged to make a purchase before the deal expires. It adds a level of excitement, knowing that the discounted price will only be available for a limited time.
2. Display of original and discounted prices: Kindle Countdown Deals display both the original price and the discounted price of the eBook. This allows customers to easily see the difference and understand the great deal they are getting. By showing the comparison between the regular price and the discounted price, customers can quickly realize the value of the promotion and the amount they are saving.
3. Retained royalty rate at lower prices: Even though the eBook is offered at a lower promotional price, authors still earn royalties based on their regular royalty rate. This means that if an author has chosen the 70% royalty option, they will continue to earn 70% of the promotional digital list price, even if the price falls below $2.99. The royalty rate remains the same regardless of the discounted price during the promotion. It’s important to note that regular delivery costs, as mentioned in the KDP Pricing Page, still apply.
4. Real-time monitoring of performance: Authors have the ability to track the performance of their Kindle Countdown Deal in real time. This means that they can monitor sales and royalties during the promotional period and compare them with the performance before the promotion started. By accessing the KDP report, authors can see how their eBook is performing at each digital list price set during the promotion. This allows authors to assess the effectiveness of the promotion and make informed decisions based on the results they observe.

What are the Eligibility Requirements

To participate in a Kindle Countdown Deal, your book must be exclusively available on the Amazon Kindle store and not published on other platforms like iBooks, Nook, Kobo, Google Play, or elsewhere.

To be eligible for Kindle Countdown Deals (KCD), you need to meet certain requirements. Here are the details explained in simpler terms:

1. KCD is available only for Kindle eBooks listed on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. So, if you want to run a KCD promotion, your eBook must be listed on these specific marketplaces.
2. Your eBook must be enrolled in KDP Select for at least 30 days before you can set up a KCD. KDP Select is a program that allows authors to make their eBooks exclusive to Amazon.
3. The digital list price of your eBook must fall within certain limits. For amazon.com, the price should be between $2.99 and $24.99. For amazon.co.uk, it should be between £1.99 and £15.99, including VAT. The digital list price should remain unchanged for 30 days before and 14 days after the KCD runs. Also, you can have a maximum of five price increments.
4. There is a minimum decrease in the digital list price required for a KCD. On amazon.com, it should be at least $1.00 USD, and on amazon.co.uk, it should be at least £1.00.
5. The duration of a KCD can be a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 7 days. You need to choose a single duration for the promotion; you cannot split it into multiple durations. It’s important to schedule the KCD at least 24 hours before your desired start date. For example, if you want to start a promotion on January 10, you can schedule it anytime before January 8.
6. During your 90-day enrollment period in KDP Select, you can choose to run either a Free Book Promotion or a KCD. You can’t run both types of promotions simultaneously.
7. You are allowed to have only one KCD per KDP Select term. Each term lasts for 90 days.
8. The latest end time for your KCD promotion is 14 days before the end of your KDP Select enrollment period. If you decide to renew your Kindle eBook in KDP Select for another consecutive 90-day period, the latest end time can be on the last day of that KDP Select period.

These requirements ensure that the KCD feature is used in a controlled manner and provides a fair and consistent experience for authors and customers.

How to Schedule and Set Up?

Here are the steps explained in simpler terms for setting up Kindle Countdown Deals:

Step 1: Check eligibility: First, make sure you meet the requirements for running a Kindle Countdown Deal. This includes meeting the prerequisites mentioned earlier and ensuring your book meets additional criteria, such as being discounted by at least $1 off its regular price.

Step 2: Log into your KDP account: Access your Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) dashboard by logging into your account. And click on the Marketing tab.

See the below screenshot:

Step 3: Scroll down and in the Run a Price Promotion, select Kindle Countdown Deals and Click Create a Kindle Countdown Deal. See the below screenshot:

Step 4: Select your eBook and click Continue. See the below screenshot:

Step 5: Enter the marketplace, date and time, number of Digital List Price increments, and starting Digital List Price. The default marketplace is set to Amazon.com. Click Continue. See the screenshot below:

In this step #5, you need to decide how many incremental price rises you want to make and what your starting price will be. Countdown Deals have fixed prices of 99p, £1.99, and £2.99 (or 99c, $1.99, and $2.99 in the US store). Your starting price will be dependent on the number of increments you set.

For example, if your book normally sells for £3.99 and you choose just one price rise, you can discount your book to any of 99p/£1.99/£2.99 with the book returning to full price at the end of the promotion period.

If, however, you want to have three price rises during the promotion, your book can only start at 99p, with the incremental rises being £1.99, £2.99, and then back to full price.

Tip: Consider discounting your book at $0.99. It is recommended to price your book at $0.99 throughout the entire duration of the countdown. This low price attracts bargain hunters and increases the chances of your book being discovered, downloaded, and shared. Remember, the goal is to gain exposure and potentially climb bestseller lists, leading to more long-term success.

Step 6: A table will appear. Edit it as needed to make sure it’s how you want the Kindle Countdown Deal (KCD) to run (price increments and start times). If all is OK, Click Add Promotion. See the below screenshot:

Step 7: If you want, run simultaneous countdowns for multiple books. Experts suggest running simultaneous promotions rather than staggering them if you have multiple books. This strategy increases the visibility of your name and gives you a better chance of appearing on Amazon’s Top 100 Author lists, which can result in more exposure.

Step 8: Promote your KCD: Spread the word about your Kindle Countdown Deal. While Amazon provides a dedicated section for KCDs, promoting the deal yourself is essential. Inform your social media followers, email subscribers, and blog readers about the promotion. Utilize your existing platforms to generate awareness and drive more potential buyers to your book.

Note: Once you add your Kindle Countdown Deal (KCD), it will appear in the Promotions for this book section.

Important to Note

When setting up a Kindle Countdown Deal (KCD), it’s essential to consider the time zone associated with the marketplace where the promotion will run. The KCD operates based on the specific time zone of the marketplace, ensuring that the start and end times align with that region.

For instance, if you’re setting up a KCD on amazon.com, the time zone used is Pacific time. On the other hand, if you’re running a KCD on amazon.co.uk, the local time zone of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is applied.

Understanding the time zone helps you accurately schedule your promotion, taking into account any time differences between your location and the marketplace.

By doing so, you can ensure that the KCD starts and ends at the intended times for customers in that particular region, maximizing its effectiveness.

By following the above steps, you can set up Kindle Countdown Deals effectively and maximize your chances of success.

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Cancel or Change Kindle Countdown Deals

Once you have scheduled a Kindle Countdown Deal (KCD) for your eBook, you cannot make any changes or cancel it within 24 hours before it is supposed to start or during its duration.

This is done to ensure a good experience for customers who have seen the promotion but haven’t made a purchase yet. It also ensures that customers get the best value when buying your eBook during the promotion.

To maintain this consistency, the price of your eBook cannot be changed for 30 days before the promotion starts and 14 days after it ends. These measures are in place to create a smooth and fair promotional experience for both authors and customers.

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How to Confirm that Kindle Countdown Deals are Running as Expected?

1. Go to your Bookshelf
2. Locate the Kindle eBook you want to check with KCD
3. Click the ellipsis button (“…”) next to the eBook.
4. Choose “Promote and advertise”
5. View the Kindle Countdown Deal (KCD) details: After selecting “Promote and advertise,” the details of your Kindle Countdown Deal (KCD) will be displayed. These details will appear under a section called “Promotions for this book.” Here, you can see the information related to your Kindle Countdown Deal, such as the start date, end date, and pricing.

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Viewing Kindle Countdown Deals Report

1. Click here to go to the Reports Dashboard.
2. Click Promotions.
3. Filter by the marketplace, titles, and promotion status.

See the screenshots below:

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Thank you for taking the time to read this blog until this point. I hope that it has provided you with valuable information and insights. If you found this blog helpful and it has added value to your understanding, I would greatly appreciate your feedback and comments.

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